Imagine that you want to create your own brand of colored candies. You know they would be a success if only you could figure out how to make a certain color, such as purple. How can you do this when government regulators have approved just a few food dyes? First, you will need to find out how your competitors make all of their colors from these few dyes. Do different candy brands use the same or different dyes? This can be figured out with gel electrophoresis, a technique commonly used in…
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BioChem_p039

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Time Required

Short (2-5 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

This project requires a [# Link Name="BioChem_p039.1" Value="HtmlAnchor" #].
See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

High ($100 - $150)

Safety

Use caution when heating the agarose. Never connect more than five 9-volt (V) batteries together for this project.

When biologists want to separate different pieces of DNA, RNA, or proteins they use a technique called gel electrophoresis. In this science project you'll build a gel electrophoresis chamber and use it to discover how many components are in different colors of food coloring dye.
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Have your favorite foods been genetically modified? Genetically modified (GM) foods do not require labeling in the USA, and foods with less than 5% content from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be labeled "GMO free."
In Europe and Asia, GM foods require labeling only if they contain more than 1% GM content.
You can investigate whether your favorite food products, like
corn tortilla chips, are made from genetically modified organisms using the
from the Bio-Rad Biotechnology Explorer…
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BioChem_p025

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

Access to a research laboratory with PCR equipment is required for this project.

Material Availability

Requires purchase of
Bio-Rad's [# Link Name="BioChem_p025.1" Value="HtmlAnchor" #]. A teacher's help is needed to order as Bio-Rad sells
directly to schools.

How do scientists "copy" DNA? They use a process called the Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR. The key to making this process work is having a short piece of DNA, called a primer, that will stick to the larger piece of DNA you want to copy, called a template. In this science project, you will test how the number of matches and mismatches in a primer will affect its ability to stick, or anneal, to the DNA template during PCR.
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The DNA in our cells contains our "blueprints," but it's the proteins in our cells that do most of the work. The Human Genome Project has allowed us to start reading the blueprints, but we still don't understand what most of the proteins do. This is a fairly advanced project that explores ways of identifying the function of unknown proteins.
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Though the Sun provides heat and light, which are essential for life on Earth, ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight can cause damage to DNA. In this science fair project, you will experiment with a strain of yeast that is super-sensitive to UV light. This project will demonstrate the lethal effects of UV light when DNA damage is not repaired.
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BioChem_p036

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Time Required

Long (2-4 weeks)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

You will need to order a UV-sensitive yeast kit online. See the Materials and Equipment list for details. Note: You might have to have the yeast delivered to a school if the company does not deliver to residential addresses.

Imagine that a biologist arrived at your big family reunion and had no idea who were sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc., but tried to sort it out by how all of you look. Just based on how you look, would s/he be able to guess whether the kid standing next to you is your sister or your cousin? The biologist might be able to make some good guesses this way, but by using samples of your family's DNA, s/he could construct your whole family tree. In this project, you'll use Web-based computer…
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The rates of some chemical reactions can actually be increased by adding light. Light sometimes interacts with one or more of the chemicals and provides an "energy boost" that dramatically speeds up a normally slow reaction. In this photochemistry science project, you will experiment with the effect of light on a chemical reaction. The reaction converts iodine, which forms a dark-orange solution, to iodide, which is colorless!
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Chem_p095

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

An introductory chemistry class.

Material Availability

You will need basic lab equipment, which can be ordered online. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Average ($50 - $100)

Safety

Gloves and safety goggles are required. Oxalic acid is toxic and an irritant. Avoid breathing oxalic acid dust and avoid contact with skin. Ammonia is an irritant. Iodine is also an irritant and stains clothes and skin. Adult supervision is required.

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